December is de twewff and finaw monf of de year in de Juwian and Gregorian Cawendars and is de sevenf and wast of seven monds to have a wengf of 31 days.

December, from de Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry

December got its name from de Latin word decem (meaning ten) because it was originawwy de tenf monf of de year in de Roman cawendar, which began in March. The winter days fowwowing December were not incwuded as part of any monf. Later, de monds of January and February were created out of de mondwess period and added to de beginning of de cawendar, but December retained its name.[1]

December contains de winter sowstice in de Nordern Hemisphere, de day wif de fewest daywight hours, and de summer sowstice in de Soudern Hemisphere, de day wif de most daywight hours (excwuding powar regions in bof cases). December in de Nordern Hemisphere is de seasonaw eqwivawent to June in de Soudern Hemisphere and vice versa. In de Nordern hemisphere, de beginning of de astronomicaw winter is traditionawwy 21 December or de date of de sowstice.

Meteor showers occurring in December are de Andromedids (September 25 – December 6, peaking around November 9), de Canis-Minorids (December 4 – December 15, peaking around December 10–11), de Coma Berenicids (December 12 to December 23, peaking around December 16), de Dewta Cancrids (December 14 to February 14, de main shower from January 1 to January 24, peaking on January 17), de Geminids (December 13–14), de Monocerotids (December 7 to December 20, peaking on December 9. This shower can awso start in November), de Phoenicids (November 29 to December 9, wif a peak occurring around 5/6 December), de Quadrantids (typicawwy a January shower but can awso start in December), de Sigma Hydrids (December 4–15), and de Ursids (December 17-to December 25/26, peaking around December 22).